NYT: Next Court Nominee May Face Challenges From G.O.P.

[DeepModem Mom]

Next Court Nominee May Face Challenges From G.O.P.
By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK
Published: September 25, 2005


WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 - As President Bush moves to fill the second vacancy on the Supreme Court, he faces a new challenge in finding a jurist who can not only withstand Democratic scrutiny but hold together the support of Senate Republicans as well.

Polls have shown Mr. Bush's approval ratings near the lowest levels of his presidency. And Senate Republican strategists say that since his nomination of Judge John G. Roberts Jr. to the court, members of their conference have grown increasingly willing to disagree with the White House, notably on matters like stem cell research, Mr. Bush's choice for ambassador to the United Nations and the war in Iraq.

Some, including Senator Bill Frist of Tennessee, the majority leader, and Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas, a member of the Judiciary Committee, are considering their own bids for the presidency.

Now, both socially conservative and more liberal Republican senators say they may vote against confirmation of the next nominee if the pick leans too far to the left or the right on prominent issues like abortion rights.

Any Republican defection could provide cover for Democrats who want to oppose confirmation, protecting them politically in Republican-leaning states. Democrats have vowed to dig in for a tough fight over the nominee to succeed Justice Sandra Day O'Connor because she was a pivotal swing vote on the court....


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/25/politics/politicsspecial1/25roberts.html

[tanyev]

1. Guess he's not a uniter anymore.

:rofl:

[many a good man]

2. That's what you get when you "govern from the fringe"

Garry Wills wrote a great column in last week's New York Review on Rove's strategy of governing from the fringes of American politics. They secretly meet with every foam-at-the-mouth extremist group individually because they are the foot-soldiers and organizers. They can't appeal to the broad center because they'd never get a majority.

The biggest group is the Evangelical Christian/Right wing Roman Catholic alliance. They can't win a national election without them. They are now demanding their due. They understand one more arch-conservative will tilt the Court and usher in a new era. They want this more than anything and they are going to DEMAND it.

This is our opportunity to fracture their coalition and bring about an electoral shift in American politics that could last a generation.

[DeepModem Mom]

3. What a great AP photo, TandP!

I have no doubt that man is indeed a Republican, and he looks mad as hell.